


All Tiny Boxes Have To Open Eventually

by LenaDanvers73



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Identity Reveal, If you look with a magnifying glass it's got Guardiancorp, Lena Luthor Finds Out Kara Danvers is Supergirl, Mutual Pining, That 3x09 fix
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:15:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28185993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LenaDanvers73/pseuds/LenaDanvers73
Summary: After finally working up the courage to confess her feelings towards Lena, Kara walks in on her kissing James. Meanwhile, Lena shoves her feelings for Kara down into tiny boxes, but all tiny boxes have to open sometime.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, Lena Luthor/James "Jimmy" Olsen, Samantha "Sam" Arias & Kara Danvers
Comments: 6
Kudos: 89





	All Tiny Boxes Have To Open Eventually

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rebelrsr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebelrsr/gifts).



> I thought why not? Try out third person instead of first. Enjoy!

Lena is kissing James. Upon returning to work, that is what Kara sees. The feelings she's been harboring inside... they were starting to make sense. Sam finally convinced her to tell Lena how she felt. And now it’s too late. Push those hurt feelings down, she tells herself. Ignore all messages from Sam, Lena, or James. The people need Supergirl.

"Kara, you're needed at the DEO. It's Reign," a voice in Kara's earpiece says.  
"On my way," she replies. Great, what could possibly be wrong now, Kara wonders. You know what? Don't even go there, she thinks. 

Later, after getting a beating by Reign but not enough to be rendered unconscious, Alex forces Kara to sit under the sun lamps. She won’t take no as an answer. Kara takes the time to reflect. Reign got away, again. Next time, Kara tells herself in her head. Tomorrow is Friday, which means work, which means Lena and James. “Oh Rao, this is too much,” she grumbles. 

It's Friday, so that means Kara is touching up her report before emailing it off. So far there’s no Lena. Usually it’s lunch day for them. They reserve Fridays for movie nights and lunches. Making sure everything she needs is in her purse, she starts walking to meet Lena until- is that James and Lena eating? So no lunch, Kara wonders. She checks her phone for a notification, but there are no notifications. Last time she checked lunch was on, but apparently Lena is blowing her off for her new boyfriend. Lunch at the DEO it is, she decides.

Kara lands on the DEO balcony and goes to where Alex is. She has this surprised look on her face, and her eyebrows bunch up. "Kara? It's friday. Isn't this you and Lena's lunch day and movie night? What are you doing here?" Alex asks.  
Sinking down in the chair, Kara looks up and says, "Lena blew me off. She's eating with James."

"Oh? That's a new development," Alex says, slightly confused.  
"Yeah, it is...." Kara trails off, sulking in the chair. At least Alex would keep her company.

"Lena wouldn't just blow you off. That's... wow. It doesn't make sense. For James? He would make a big deal out of her name. You know, how she's a Luthor," Alex says, sitting down across from her sister. 

"Yeah, tell me about it," she says, still sulking. Kara starts to get lost in thought. Should she tell Alex? No, she already has so much to deal with. Her inner thoughts argue- tell her, don't tell her. After arguing with herself, she decides not to and to just keep all those feelings in.

That's how she runs into Sam on the way walking back to Catco. "Kara? It's lunch time. Why aren't you with Lena?" Sam asks.  
Hearing those words hurt more than they should have. "Uh... about that..." Kara says, biting her lip.

"Oh no, that isn't a happy tone. Did it not go well?" Sam asks in a worried tone with a scowl on her face.  
"She kissed James!" Kara says with a face showing her disappointment. 

"That doesn't make any sense," Sam says as if she was thinking about the possibilities in her head.  
"Then she had lunch with James, and I never got a message or anything. So no lunch today for us," Kara says with a crinkle on her forehead. 

"God, Kara, I'm so sorry," Sam says with a tone of honesty and a look that shows how sorry she is.  
"I think I'm not meant for romance. It never goes well. Ever." Kara shrugs and sighs as she accepts what happened unfortunately.

"You can't mean that, Kara," Sam says, putting a hand on Kara's shoulder in comfort.  
"Put it this way. I didn't kiss anyone til college, and I accidentally broke their nose. Three people, then Mon-el, and we all know what happened there, and now Lena," Kara says as she looks down at her shoes after her confession. 

"This is my fault, Kara. Don't just give up," Sam says, trying to bring her newly acquainted friend back from this saddened feeling.  
"I think some time to be single might be good. Maybe I haven't met my person yet?" her friend says with a small smile as she looks up from her shoes. 

"Maybe. You want to get lunch together? I'm pretty hungry myself." Sam offers her friend a warm, inviting smile, hopeful. She has a feeling Lena is Kara's person.  
"That actually sounds nice," Kara says, giving Sam a bigger smile but not her true smile. 

"Ok. Let's go." Sam grabs her friend's arm, pulling her to Noonan's. Once they get there, they place their orders and get a booth. Neither of them notice Lena walking on the sidewalk. Her gaze goes up and spots her two best friends. It’s odd that they went to lunch together. Usually it's hers and Kara’s day. Lunch and movie night is reserved for Fridays. She walks into the cafe, pausing when Sam puts her hand on top of Kara and squeezes slightly. What is this? She goes up to them and stops upon reaching the table.  
"Kara, I thought we had lunch plans?" Lena's voice breaks the bubble the two friends are in. 

"You were with James so I just assumed..." Kara trails off, unsure of what to say.  
"I didn't intend for it to run that long," Lena tries to assure Kara, who is sitting in front of her with Sam. Sam isn't buying the excuse. She just looks at her cloeset and longest friend in a way that gives off the impression she knows. She knows Lena is love starved, and she knows Lena will take any love that she can get, even if that was with the wrong person; someone who always looked down upon her because of her last name. 

"You're more than welcome to join, Lena." Sam looks at Lena as she says it. Lena slides in next to Kara, who looks very uncomfortable with it, which is odd because usually Kara is very affectionate. "Kara was just asking me to hang out with her tonight- dinner at her place with Ruby," Sam tells Lena, who gets a surprised look on her face but covers it up quickly.

"Is movie night not a go for us anymore?" Lena asks, looking at Kara.  
She opened her mouth a few times. "I just assumed you would be with James. Uh- Sam's company is enjoyable is all," Kara says.

Later in the day, after work and the commute home, Kara, Sam, and Ruby are all waiting for Lena to join movie night. Time flys by for the trio until it is about eight o'clock. Kara had not expected Lena to come anyways. Sam had hoped, and meanwhile Ruby is let down, but the time together is still enjoyable. Who doesn't love food and musicals, right? 

The next day at L-Corp, Sam is in her office working on paperwork, taking care of matters for the company when Lena strides. Sam loves her dearest friend. Really, she does. She just doesn't understand why pick Jimmy over Kara. She thought her friend was head over heels in love with Kara. "We missed you last night," Sam tells Lena, who gets this confused look on her face. She really forgot?  
"Last night?" Lena asks. That confirms it.

"Movie night," is all Sam says, hoping that will jog her memory.  
Lena gets this flicker of emotions on her face and then opens her mouth. "Oh..." 

"It's okay. Ruby and I enjoyed the movie night. More so Ruby loved the musical," Sam says to her friend. It's not a lie. Ruby did have fun.  
"I didn't mean to miss it. I guess I just got busy with James," Lena rambles, on wringing her hands as she sat in the chair. Yeah, that figures.

"Your new boyfriend, yeah," is all Sam says.  
"God, I'm so sorry." Lena gets this hurt look on her face; the genuine sorry facial expression. 

"Don't apologize to me. I'm not the one you blew off. Again." Sam emphasizes the word again. Is it good Lena's dating? Yes. Is it good that it's James or Jimmy? What does he go by again? Sam wonders. Not the best pick there.

"I was going to show up," Lena tries to say, but was she really? She could be telling the truth. Lena isn't good with emotions and the process. Still, blowing off your best friend two times for a new flame is a bit much, Sam feels. 

"But you didn't. As you said, you got busy. Next time?" Sam says with a shrug. This is going to be harder than one has thought. Mission: how to make Lena realize who she really loves. 

"Kara, I haven't seen you in forever. Do you want to grab lunch together?" a voice brings Kara out of her trance gazing at her computer at Catco. It’s Lena.  
"Uh, you want to grab lunch?" Kara asks, rather confused. She hasn't seen Lena in a long time. The lunches, movie nights, dinners- all of it stopped. She’s doing all those things with James. Kara’s sure of it. 

"I thought we we're going to have lunch together?" Before Kara can reply, James comes up to the desk.  
"You know, you're busy. I'll leave you to it. I actually am on my way to L corp already for lunch plans," Kara says, packing up her purse and putting on her coat. 

Lena looks back at Kara, surprised. "What?" She doesn't understand.  
"I'm seeing Sam," Kara says, adjusting her purse and coat. She can't deal with them right now. 

Lena gazes after Kara as she walks to the elevator. She doesn't understand. All she wants is lunch with Kara. She misses Kara, her hugs, and her cuddling. What happened? Lena asks herself. 

So it's Game Night. Oddly enough, Kara hadn't hosted one in a few weeks or even perhaps a month. She invited everyone as usual. James and Lena were a couple, so she asked Sam to be her Game Night partner. Sam had never been to one, so it was nice to have a partner ahead of time. Kara would have gone with Alex, but she hasn't told her sister about her feelings for Lena and everything that happened. Her sister was still getting over Maggie, and Kara didn't want to reopen those wounds with her situation. She knew her sister would ask her why she was not partnered up with Lena, and she was not in the mood to answer that. 

Alex, Sam, and Ruby of course had arrived, followed by Winn and J'onn. All that was needed to arrive was James and Lena, and they did. Kara had took a seat on the couch, assuming Ruby and Sam would sit next to her. In a shocking moment, it was Lena who sat next to her and started cuddling up to her? What? She blows me off and now she's trying to cuddle up to me? Kara wondered. "Uh-Uh- what are you doing?" Kara says, trying to lean away a bit.  
"Cuddling, like we always do," Lena replied, looking confused as to why she would ask. 

"Uh... why?" is what comes out of the uncomfortable Kryptonian, unsure of what is going on.  
"I missed you and I want to." Well, that was unexpected to come from Lena's mouth.

"Is that appropriate since you're dating James?" she asked her... best friend? Was that still the term? The bond between them felt different.  
"Why wouldn't it be?" The young Luthor sounded genuinely confused at the question.

"We're not- you know- dating,” she stated, trying not to trip over her own words.  
"But you're my best friend!" her friend tried to reason with her question. Why would she think that? Neither of them noticed James walking towards the pair as they were having this conversation.  
"I know- it's just-" the Kryptonian said, tripping over her words, and was interrupted mid sentence by James.  
"Why are you cuddling up next to Kara? Besides you're my Game Night partner, so that means you sit next to me." James came up to the pair of best friends sitting on the couch.  
"She's my best friend and my Game Night partner always," Lena responded to that comment, then the argument broke out when Lena stood up. Kara got up and walked away from it to the kitchen, mentioning something about a beer. After that things escalated to the point Alex told James to leave the apartment. He then looked at Lena and said somthing along the lines of 'we are leaving'. She did agree to that after a brief moment of consideration. Needless to say Game Night ended up bring interesting. It was still enjoyable, but a piece felt like it was missing from the apartment on that night.

More time passes. Kara doesn't see or hear from her best friend often, which is not surprising. James had grown cold toward her, especially at work. Is Lena even still her best friend? The blonde reporter thought in her head. They don't really text or see each other, so who knows. 

By the time Kara's birthday approaches, she wonders if she'll actually be acknowledged by Lena, who promised to do something together for her birthday this year awhile ago before James. She doubts it, which is.... fine. Kara gets lost in thought. How does one person no longer seeming to be a big part of someone's life as before be so drastic? People get over this and make new friends, yet here Kara was, pining away for her best... just friend? 

She's really pathetic, isn't she? Romance is not for her at all. Maybe she should bury these feelings? Kara Danvers sucks right now for her. People need Supergirl and want Supergirl around. It’s always Supergirl.

It hits her in that moment. Part of the problem lately is that people are calling upon Supergirl more than Kara- plain old Kara Danvers who's just a reporter and wears button down shirts. Who wants that? Not Lena Luthor, CEO of L-Corp that's for sure. Who was she kidding? She never stood a chance to get Lena, not against James of all people. He's the head at Catco. It's better this way, Kara tells herself.  
All of a sudden, her earpiece goes off. "Kara, it's Reign."  
She stiffens up. "On my way," Kara says back to the message. Reign had been relatively quiet lately until now. 

The fight was messy. Reign ended up beating her again. How? Kara was Supergirl. Alex was just glad her sister was alright. The sun laps will help, as always. Alex knew lately her sister has been acting off, not like herself. Kara hasn't even talked about Lena. Usually she never shuts up about her. Now It's like Lena was not around or something. Worse, Kara was sad this morning when the birthday phone call from her sister came in. It's her birthday! Lena was going to do something amazing, right? She did last year. Oddly enough, Kara's phone had been silent expect for those from Nia, Brainy, and Winn. Lena would usually be blowing up her phone by now, worried if they had made plans.

Alex was going to wait for her sister to wake up and get to the bottom of this. Her sister was acting differently, and she needed to know why. Surely it's fixable? She knew James all of a sudden was interested in Lena. Lena Luthor, out of all the people? James hated her. He couldn't stand her and always judged her for her last name. Now James was in a relationship with Lena? It doesn't make sense.

Lena looked at her phone on her desk in her office, it was almost five- wait, is that the date!? It's Kara's birthday! Oh no, she's going to think me, her best friend, forgot. Grabbing her phone, Lena tries to call Kara. It goes to voicemail. Okay, don't freak out. She text messages her, saying that the meetings were back to back and that it was busy at L-Corp. Kara will forgive her, right? James comes through her office doors. Ugh, not now. "You ready to go?" James asks Lena.  
"Um- you know, actually I really need to go see Kara. It's her birthday," Lena tells her boyfriend. 

James makes a face as if to look baffled at her words. "So? Just say Happy birthday? I'm here already." He raises his arms to motions to himself.  
"No, I need to see her in person James." Lena crosses her arms. James is not happy as per usual. If it's not about him, he has a fit. Lena was getting tired of his behavior. She had started to wonder if she should break up with him, but she didn't want to be alone or go back to pining for Kara, who only saw her as best friend. She never thought Kara would ever return her feelings. After an argument, Lena grabbed her coat and packed up her stuff to leave L-Corp. First stop is to pick up some potstickers. She already had Kara's gift picked out and put away months ago at her penthouse. 

Lena had planned a trip for the two of them way in advance, and she was supposed to show Kara the tickets now. Well, she hasn't really seen her best friend in... weeks? Months? She saw Sam a bit, but they worked together. Lena thought it would be perfectly fine to just show up. Her driver knew where Kara lived, of course. She went there often. Well, she used to. She really missed that. Once her driver dropped her off and she made her way to the floor Kara's apartment was on, she knocked on the door. Oddly, she didn't get a response. No one said that they were coming, nor did the door open. "Kara? Are you home?" she called out. That's odd. 

Lena pulled out her phone and went to Kara's contact information. No, she has a key. She can just use her key. She unlocks the door. "No one is home. She's usually home by now. Maybe I should call her,” she says, talking to herself mostly. 

Pulling out her phone, she dials Kara's contact information. It rings a few times before someone picks up. "Agent Danvers."  
Alex? What? "Where's Kara?! She's not home, and why did you answer her phone?! Is she okay?!" Lena says into the phone, panicking.

"Lena?" Alex says on the other side of the line, sounding surprising. Why would she be surprised? "Kara was just on her way home from my w- apartment. It being her birthday and all, you know, had to get that sister time in!" she continues. "So she's on her way home?" Lena asks, wanting to clarify. 

"Yes, give her about twenty minutes maybe, depending if she stops for food. You know how she is," she says on the other line. "I will just wait for Kara here then in her apartment. I used my key to let myself in." Lena felt the need to clarify herself to Alex.

"Right, I will let Kara know. Shoot! She forgot her phone! Looks like I can't after all. She won't mind you waiting. It's fine," Alex says, laughing a bit at her mistake. How strange.  
"Right.... okay, I will just wait here," Lena says, then Alex hangs up the phone. Lena had put down the food and present down already, so she takes off her coat and hangs it up, then sit down on Kara's coach. Lena got up after that and went to borrow some of Kara's clothes to be more comfortable in than her work clothes. After that, Lena went to sit on the couch again and pulled the blanket over herself, getting comfortable. She did not have the intention of falling asleep on Kara's couch, waiting for her to come home. 

J'onn steps through Kara's apartment front door as Kara, since Kara hasn't exactly woken up yet. When he steps in the apartment, he spots Lena on the couch. Closing the door quietly, to ensure Lena stays asleep, he reaches for his phone and pulls up his text thread with Alex to let her know Lena is asleep on Kara's couch and ask what he should do. Lena looks like she needs the sleep. He should let her be. 

Feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket, he pulls it out and looks to see who it is. It’s Alex. She says to let Lena sleep, and she is hoping Kara will wake up and fly home so J'onn Kara wouldn't be there, but instead actual Kara. J'onn sits down at the table waiting for confirmation that Kara is awake from Alex. While he sits there, Lena shifts on the couch, mumbling something. He catches some of it until it becomes clear to his ears.

"I want to break up, James." Then some mumbling. "I'm in love with Kara." That sentence makes J'onn feel like he got ice cold water dunked on him. Kara should really be here, not him. Does he tell Alex? Is it his place? 

J'onn decided to play it safe and pull out his phone and send a lengthy message to Alex, hoping he would not have to deal with an awake Lena Luthor. Not that she's evil or or bad, but he doesn't know how to act like Kara and her are fine. Which are they? No? Yes? Too many options. What if Lena tries to kiss him as Kara? 

Alex will tell Kara, right? That's her sister, her best friend. What will Kara do with this information? Assuming Kara is in fact into women. The only person she's dated was Mon-el, and that was a mistake. Krypton didn't care about gender when it came to romantic partners. Kara and Lena have always been.... close in a way, but those two always had a special bond if you can call it that. Pre-relationship perhaps? 

Kara will hopefully rush home once she's up and Alex tells her. Kara won't run away or freak out, will she? Maybe? Of course Kara will freak out. She's Kara. 

Meanwhile at the DEO, Kara has woken up. Alex gives her a few minutes to not be groggy. "Hey Kar, I need to tell you that Lena is at your apartment currently. J'onn went there as you. She fell asleep waiting for you, but there's something else." Alex paused, sitting down next to her sister.  
"What is it?" 

"Lena was talking in her sleep when J'onn got there. She said a few things about you and James, or just one thing. She's not happy with James. She wants to break up with him and.... well..... she said she was in love with you. Don't freak out." 

"Don't freak out? Don't freak out?! Why would I do that?" Kara says, her voice getting higher.  
"And you're freaking out," Alex says.

"What am I supposed to do with that information? Too much information," is all Kara says into her hands.  
"Yeah, it really is," Alex says agreeing and sitting with her sister.

Lena wakes up from her slumber. She didn't mean to fall asleep waiting for Kara to come home. Kara's sitting at the dinner table, looking at her phone. Alex brought her phone over? "Kara! When did you get here?" Lena asks, sitting up.  
"Uh- about thirty minutes or so, you looked like you needed the sleep. I did not want to wake you." J'onn says as Kara. Lena gets up from her spot on the coach and approaches J'onn. 

"What are you doing?" J'onn asks, very unsure. He looks like Kara, but he’s still awkward.  
"Hugging you, like I always do. Especially since it's your birthday," Lena tells J'onn, who nods. 

"We may embrace in the form of a hug. You seem as if you really need this embrace." It's just a hug. Completely normal, J’onn tells himself.  
"Yeah. I do," Lena tells J'onn, not letting go of him- well, who she thinks is Kara. 

"Is there something bothering you? Your body language signals to me that there is," J'onn asks, reading into Lena Luthor's tight hug.  
"I need you, Kara," Lena says, looking into J'onn’s eyes. What is happening? J'onn excuses himself to 'go to the bathroom'. Once he's in, he pulls out his phone and dials Alex.

"Alex, I can't do this. This is a weird friendship. There's touching, and why does she need me?" J'onn says quietly into the phone.  
"Just keep her distracted. Give her some kale or something," Alex replies.

"Kale? This woman is all over me," J’onn says. It's not a lie.  
"Don't underestimate the kale," Alex tells him. Seriously? Kale? "She used to keep some in case Lena came over. Maybe she still does." 

"The things I do for you two. I will not cuddle with Lena Luthor." That's the limit.  
"Cuddle? I'm sure you're over exaggerating," Alex says, not believing J'onn.

"She came up to me and hugged me and wouldn't let go." Which is really what happened.  
"Okay, that's a little worrisome," Alex says after hearing that. She hangs up to deal with Kara at DEO. Kale.... right Kale. When J’onn exits the bathroom and goes back to the living room, he doesn’t see Lena there. She’s in the kitchen, getting kale. Of course she already found the kale. He cannot catch a break. 

“Ah I see you found the kale already. You do love kale.” J’onn tries to say it in a light tone as Kara would, but Lena still gives him this odd look. Okay, so he did not do that great of a job.  
“Yes, you do keep food here for me, darling.” Darling? What kind of pet name is that for your best friend? James, yes. He is her boyfriend. 

“Of course I do.” J’onn doesn’t understand what is happening. It’s so strange. Is he wrong? “I brought you some potstickers from that one place we love to go to. They’re your favorite potstickers.” Lena tells him as she is preparing herself what appears to be a salad. She really loves her greens. How she is best friends with Kara, who treats greens as if they are a bomb about to go off, he’ll never understand. J’onn sits down at the table observing Lena. She is very at home in Kara’s apartment. You can tell she spends a lot of time here. What is even more surprising is the fact that Kara keeps food for her in particular here at her apartment.

“I missed this, it’s nice. You’re my favorite, you know that? Happy Birthday. I wanted to tell you how sorry I am James has kept me away from you. I’ve missed a lot of our lunches and movie nights, along with not keeping communications with you well either. I’ve been a horrible best friend, and for that I am sorry. It’s just not the same with James as it is with... you. With you, I feel like I’m home. For me, home isn’t a place. It’s a person. That’s you, Kara. You’re my home,” Lena sits down next to J’onn as she finishes up her confession? “When I’m with James, I just can’t help but compare you with him. Is that weird?”  
In J’onn’s head he was saying yes, but he was quiet for a moment and was about to answer Lena when there was a sound coming from Kara’s room. By the way the the curtains were moving as if a gust of wind had hit them, it had to be her. Lena looked as if she was concerned at the noise they had heard from the bedroom. “Let me go check on that, I think something fell in K- my room. My room, because it is my apartment.” He adds a chuckle at the end of it. Please be Kara.

J’onn goes to Kara’s room to see what the commotion is about. He sees Kara in her supersuit, and it looks like she knocked over her lamp in her room, he goes to pick it up and stand it up straight. “You’re here! Switch places with me now!” J’onn says as he goes back to looking like Hank and speaking in a hushed tone. “I can’t handle the affection,” he continues.  
“Affection?” Kara asks, looking puzzled. 

“Your best friend is wanting lots of hugs, affection, and I am pretty sure she wants to cuddle. That was not happening. She also is taking a liking to being very close to me- well, you,” he explains with a hushed tone.  
“Oh, that is strange. She hasn’t been like that in a very long time,” Kara explains, but it was still odd behavior from Lena tonight then. She didn’t really believe what Alex told her that J’onn said he heard Lena say. Could she really be blamed?

“Kara?! Is everything okay in there?” Lena’s voice comes through as she steps closer to Kara’s room.  
“Yes! I’m a klutz, you know, and accidentally knocked down my lamp but I’m okay!” Kara- the actual Kara- answers loud enough for Lena to hear her. It’s a good enough excuse. Lena takes it and walks back to the kitchen.  
“That was close. Now go back out there. I am leaving. She brought you potstickers,” J’onn says, moving towards the window. 

Kara lights up like it’s Christmas. “Ooh, potstickers! Why didn’t you start off with that? Is it from that one place I love but is way too expensive?”  
J’onn just gives her this look of unamusement. With that, he jumps out the window. Kara takes that as her cue to go back. “Wait, suit!” J’onn points out, still hovering outside, and Kara stops in her tracks. Duh! Golly, how could she forget that? She points her fingers and uses her super speed to change. All better!

“I’m back. Sorry that took so long. Where were we?” Kara states as she walks into the kitchen were Lena is still preparing her salad. Gross, a big salad. Lena looks up and smiles. She practically tackles Kara, rushing forwards and hugging Kara tight.  
“I really, really missed you,” Lena mumbles into Kara. J’onn wasn’t lying about Lena. This is odd. Of course, Kara’s crinkle had come forward to form. Damn crinkle. 

“I wasn’t gone that long, Lena. Surely you couldn’t miss me that much.” There, that seems like an appropriate response.  
“I always miss you. You’re my happy place,” she says, but it’s muffled by Kara’s shirt. Kara wraps her arms around Lena, now slightly worried. Why is she being like this? Should she even ask? 

“Is there something wrong? I just feel like you’re not telling me something? Is it… James?” That’s not pushing the issue, is it? "Trouble in paradise?" Kara continues, trying to see what the issue is.  
"It's not paradise at all," Lena says, pulling away from Kara and frowning slightly.

"Uh oh. Wanna talk about it?” Kara asks, concerned, looking down slightly at Lena. Lena looks as if she’s lost in thought, biting her lip, "Not really but... I feel like my life revolves around James. I thought I would enjoy it, but I don't like it. I’m not happy. I feel like I have no freedom. He doesn’t ever care about me or how I am. It’s all about him. Telling you all this now is making me realize that James isn’t the person I want to be with…” Lena trails off, lost in thought again. Kara wonders what Lena’s thinking. She can hear the cogs turning in her brain. 

"Maybe you should do something for yourself. Do what makes you happy, not what makes everyone else happy; not James. Do what makes you happy,” she answers after Lena trails off and doesn’t speak up yet again to continue her train of thought.  
"For.... myself?" The brunette looks positively befogged. "Like what?” she asks after pausing for a moment to think.

"I don't know. Buy a burger or something? Go to one of those fancy restaurants you love so much?" Kara offers up, stepping away from Lena slightly, putting a stray hair behind Lena’s ear, and shrugging.  
"By myself?" she asks back at Kara’s idea.

"If you want… or just pick it up for yourself?" she offers but doesn’t sound one hundred percent sure.  
"Let's go right now and then come back and eat it!” Lena says, grabbing Kara’s hand and smiling. Lena goes to Kara’s bedroom- for what though? She comes back with a pair of flat comfortable shoes and the NCU sweater Kara hasn’t been able to find in a long time.

“Where did you find that? I haven’t been able to find that sweater for a while now,” she asks as Lena pulls the sweater over her head and slips it on.  
“In my drawer, where I keep all my favorites,” Lena answers. Drawer? She has one of those here?! Kara mentally questions. Oh, Rao! Isn’t that a couple thing to do- for someone to have at their significant other’s place? Does she have one of those at James? What on Rao is happening? 

“I’m ready to go if you are,” Lena’s voice brings Kara out of her head and its own thoughts. She looks at Lena, who’s wearing a pair of Kara’s sweats and her NCU sweater with one of her shirts underneath that. She’s going out like that? Kara wonders.  
“Uh- y-yeah, I’m ready.” Rao help me understand, Kara thinks. Should it be normal for Lena to wear her clothes and to be going out? Isn’t that what a girlfriend does? No? Yes? Kara doesn’t know anymore. 

After locking the door, Lena makes sure to grab her wallet, and they walk to the elevator and eventually end up at the street. Where was the car? “Oh, we’re walking?” Kara says after a second.  
“Yeah,if that’s okay with you? I enjoy walking with you.” There was an underlying meaning to what she just said, wasn’t there?

Walking is fine with Kara. She is used to flying, but walking won’t bother her. She’s Supergirl, after all. “Sure, walking is perfectly fine with me.” The Kryptonian shrugs and waits for Lena to pick the direction she wants to go in. She doesn’t even know which restaurant Lena picked to go get food from for herself. Lena starts to walk in one direction, so Kara follows her, matching her pace. After not very long, she feels Lena’s hand slide into her own. What on Rao is happening? Kara wonders. We’ve held hands before, she tells herself. This is fine right? Right?!  
“This is nice. Just you and me. I like it like this,” Lena says.  
Ok, Kara. Don’t make any sudden movements to give away how you are fighting with your own brain and panicking, Kara instructs herself. She’s one hundred percent fine. Just great.

The walk to the restaurant is actually a nice once. Kara gets used to Lena’s hand in her hand, mostly thinking about what’s happening and what it means. Lena isn’t happy with James. That much is certain, but Kara doesn’t want to get her hopes up.  
When the pair gets to the restaurant, Lena is already latched onto Kara’s arm with her other arm but won’t let go of Kara’s hand. The staff knows them pretty well due to the pair going there, well pre-James, at least every two weeks since they had become friends. “Miss Luthor! Miss Danvers! It’s been awhile since we had seen you. We wondered what happened!” one of the front people who worked there exclaims. Kara can’t remember his name exactly, but she swears it’s something Italian since it is an Italian restaurant.  
Kara’s phone goes off, and she checks it; Alex. “Alex is calling me. I just need to step out. I’ll be right back,” she tells Lena, pulling her hand out of the hold Lena has on it. Lena gets a sad look but nods when she hears what Kara said.

Lena looks back as Kara steps out, putting the phone to her ear. She makes a pout face without realizing it. After Lena puts in her order and pays for it, one of the chefs who usually cooks there- (of course she knows them; she doesn’t spend all that money at this place for nothing)- greets her. “Miss Luthor! Good to see you! Where is your blonde friend with the biceps and a mean appetite?” he asks Lena.  
“Oh, she’s with me. She just had to step out to take a phone call, she’ll be right back,” she answers his question regarding Kara.

“You two finally got together? Only took almost a year! Congrats!” he says as Kara comes back inside.  
“Congrats? Uh- thank you?” Kara responds, lost but trying to be nice. 

After that, he ends up walking away while Kara is still smiling and nodding. “What exactly am I being congratulated for?” she asks, turning to face Lena.  
“Uh- I have no idea?” she answers her friend in her best way to cover it up. 

Kara sits down and waits for a bit while her friend sits down next to her and lays her head on the blonde’s shoulder. The pair are content with a quiet night for once in a while. When the food is ready, Kara takes the bag and stands up. “Alright, back to my apartment we go,” she states, and then they’re off.  
It’s all going well until about halfway through. Lena falls. Kara manages to keep the food balanced, but most importantly not let Lena fall too hard. Lena, being the human she was, still hurt herself, of course. “Tripping is my thing I bring to this friendship. Are you okay though?” Kara asks as she kneels down to Lena’s level to check on her.  
“Yeah! I’m good!” Lena tries to stand up, but she made a pained face. “Ow! Maybe not…” she trails off.

“Come on, I’ll carry you back to my apartment. Then I can look at it, and we will see if I need to call Alex or take you to the hospital,” Kara says, still squatting next to Lena. She scoops Lena up, placing her hands and arms to pick Lena up properly and not to hurt her ankle.  
“Wait! Oh… you can pick me up? I’m not too… heavy?” Red tints her cheeks after the pause.

“No, you’re actually fairly easy to carry,” Kara answers, standing up with ease. “I have both arms to carry you, and the food is really not that heavy. I promise you’re not heavy, Lena,” she continues.  
“Th-thank you, darling,” is all Lena says out loud in response. She’s surprised Kara does not complain once on the way back to her apartment. James had attempted to pick Lena up one time. Why he thought picking Lena up while kissing her was a good idea when she wasn’t exactly into the kissing session is a mystery. Lena wasn’t very happy with James so far. He wanted all of her attention. Dates were all about his day and his thoughts. He liked Lena very much in the physical sense- that was obvious- but that isn’t what she wants or craves. She wants to be… loved and accepted for her, even her last name. James was just so self-absorbed too in many ways, if not all ways. Lena isn’t that fond of James and how he’s like that. With James, he was well... self-absorbed. Not just a little, but a lot. She questions her choices in choosing to date James these past… months? It couldn’t be more than a few months. She didn’t care for how long it had been other than wishing for it to end. One can only lie to herself for so long.  
Before she knew it, they’re already near Kara’s apartment again, and she hasn’t complained once. When they get to the elevator, Lena is still surprised how Kara manages to get the door open while holding her. They’d had pleasant conversation on the walk back every once in a while. Otherwise, it was silent. It wasn’t an awkward silence though. It was pretty nice if she was honest. Lena was in a daze almost, but it wasn’t from boredom. It was from being content.  
When Kara closes her apartment door with her foot, she walks over to her couch and sets Lena down. She sets the food down next. “Okay let me see. Then if it looks or you feel like it needs actual medical attention, I will call Alex,” Kara says. She sits down next to Lena and helps her bring her foot up to the couch cushion while Lena slowly turns. “It doesn’t look swollen, and there’s no discoloring. Does it hurt other than when you walk on it?” She brings her head up, waiting on Lena to answer her question.  
“No, it was just tender. I’ve twisted my ankle before. It felt like that. I will need to avoid heels for a bit, but I can move it. I don’t think you need to call Alex for me,” Lena responds back, moving her ankle a bit and testing it, touching it lightly. Kara nods but still goes to get Lena an ice pack in case she wants one. When she brings it back, she offers to push the coffee table she has to where Lena can prop her foot up and add a pillow so it would have a cushion. No one ever did this for Lena; not even Jack. They had fit together, but it was more of a business transaction. There was love, but she wasn’t in love with him. No one else is Kara, even if Lena tried to pretend that James was a replacement for Kara. A poor one, but still a replacement. Well, an attempt. 

Had she made a mistake kissing James that night? she thought to herself. Had she? She was just trying to protect her heart from heartbreak if Kara didn’t like her in a more than friend way.  
A plate gets set down in her lap, bringing her out of her own head slightly. “Lena?” She brings her head in the direction of the voice. It’s just Kara.  
“Sorry, I just got lost in my own head,” she explains, blushing. “Thank you for the plate, darling.” 

“No problem. I wasn’t going to make you get up and get your own plate after your fall,” Kara tells her friend, waving it off and going to get her own plate. Before she can do that though, a phone goes off, alerting a phone call is coming in. Kara beelines it to the phone, assuming it’s Alex calling her. Not bothering to check caller ID, she hits accept. Who else calls this late?  
“Alex, what’s up?” she says, answering the phone.  
“Kara? Why are you answering Lena’s phone?!” James voice comes through the phone.

Kara looks at the phone and sees James Olsen as the contact name. Rao, it’s not her phone. “Oh…this is not my phone…” she trails off awkwardly.  
“Put Lena on the phone, I want to talk to my girlfriend.” He emphasizes the my in the sentence. Kara tries not to roll her eyes. Rao, she can’t stand James now. How did she ever have a crush on him? She walks over to Lena, holding out her phone. Lena looks at the screen and doesn’t look happy.  
Taking the phone, she puts it to her ear. “James…what a surprise. Why are you calling?” She does not sound happy.

“It’s past dinner time, so I expected you to be home by now. To my surprise, Kara answered the phone. Safe to say you aren’t home. It’s a little late to still be with Kara, don’t you think?”  
Kara uses her super hearing to listen to the conversation, even though she knows better. Lena won’t think she can actually hear from the kitchen.  
“We already talked about this. I told you I needed to see Kara. My life doesn’t revolve around you. I need Kara in my life, and you have to accept that if this relationship is going to continue.” Lena sounds like she’s getting heated. 

“Wow, so from what I’m hearing and the tone you’re taking, Kara matters more to you than I do. You need Kara- what does that even mean? Huh, Lena? Explain it to me; I’d love to hear it.” James sounds pissed now.  
Kara peeks out to look at Lena. Her jaw is set, and she makes a face that’s evident she’s unhappy. “I love Kara. That’s what it means. I love actually being with Kara. She actually cares about me. She asks how my day was and doesn’t just talk about herself. She makes sure I eat lunch and leave work while you demand my attention no matter how tired I am. She also cares when I get hurt. For example, I fell today and hurt my ankle. She didn’t complain when she had to pick me up. I could go on, but I think you should get what I am trying to say.”  
Wow, that was… unexpected. 

“I care about you! I’m your boyfriend, in case you forgot. I can do all those things. It doesn’t make Kara special. It’s not my fault you’re heavier than you look. Yeah, I have no doubt Kara could pick you up. Maybe if you stopped dotting on Kara and actually gave me a chance to do all those things, we wouldn’t be in this situation,” James retorts back at Lena over the phone.  
Lena laughed a bit at that; the one people make in unfortunate relationship situations. “You just made…. a very clear point, thank you. You’ve made me realize what I really want.” With that, Kara hears the click of Lena hanging up her phone call. She had been in the kitchen making her plate to give Lena some privacy for the phone call, even though she listened in…who wouldn’t? Right? Right. Well, Kara got her plate of potstickers ready. The question now- is it okay to go out there now?  
“I’m back. You look… relieved?” Kara says with surprise in her voice. That’s not what was she was expecting to see after that phone call with James. “Lena, are you- mmm!” And she lunges forwards and kisses Kara on the lips suddenly. Rao, what just happened?! Don’t panic… don’t panic. What does she do?! Does she kiss Lena back? Wait, isn’t she with James still?! She wants to kiss her back, but would that be wrong? Lena pulls back once she realizes Kara didn’t kiss her back. 

“Darling are you okay?” Lena asks after pulling back and looking at Kara, who still looks shocked at what just happened. Lena can’t tell if Kara didn’t like the kiss or she is just surprised at what happened.  
“Um- uh- I- I- yes? Yes,” Kara stutters, out not sounding very sure of herself. She makes that face she made when Lena first told her about not seeing her name on the byline. 

“Yes?” Lena asks to make sure she was in fact okay and not just lying.  
“Yes…” Kara trails off, bringing a hand up to fidget with her glasses. It was a nervous tick she did a lot apparently. “I would- um like if you could explain why you kissed me,” she continues with a blush across her cheeks.

“I never truly liked James. I was just dating him to distract myself from the feelings I had for… you. Tonight, he just… made me realize I truly wanted you, which I had been lying to myself about. So that’s why…” Lena trails off, playing with her fingers, a habit she did a lot.  
“So… you like me? Junior reporter Kara? You dated James because he was the safer choice?” Kara sounds like she’s putting all the facts together and starting to understand.

“Yes, exactly,” Lena says with a sigh, looking down slightly and biting her lip.  
“Huh... who would have seen that one coming? What about James, who might I add is still your boyfriend, I believe, and you kissed me,” Kara says like it’s a fact to remind Lena.

“You’re right. I need to dump him,” Lena says, sounding very confident and determined  
“Uh- right now? Right now?” Kara says, looking as Lena unlocks her phone again. She doesn’t know if she should say something or do something since Lena is being… rash? Is it really being rash though? She’s really just going to call right now. Oh Rao.

“James, oh good you picked up. No, I’m speaking. I want to break up wait- no I am breaking up with you. Goodbye.” Lena presses end call on her phone, Oh Rao.

**Author's Note:**

> Drop a review to let me know what you though!  
> Tumblr @LenaDanvers73


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